Plucked Strings -- Guitars and Lutes -- Portuguese Guitar -- Banjo -- Mandolin Family Instruments -- Psalteries and Zithers -- Harpsichord and Clavichord -- Harp -- Burmese Arched Harp -- Plucked String Instruments in Asia -- Bowed Strings -- Violin -- Cello -- Double Bass -- Bows, Strings, and Bowing -- Viols and Other Historic Bowed String Instruments -- The Hutchins–Schelleng Violin Octet After 50 Years -- Hammered Strings -- Some Remarks on the Acoustics of the Piano -- Hammered Dulcimer -- Electric Guitar and Violin -- Virtual String Synthesis -- Erratum to: Plucked String Instruments in Asia.

Many performing musicians, as well as instrument builders, are coming to realize the importance of understanding the science of musical instruments. This book explains how string instruments produce sound. It presents basic ideas in simple language, and it also translates some more sophisticated ideas in non-technical language. It should be of interest to performers, researchers, and instrument makers alike.